Tripping Through Inner Space on a Single, Legal Dose of Nootropics

Remember 'smart' drugs of yore? The new ones take you all the way to wisdom.

I sat down with my “HerbGirl,” Lori Barron, a certified herbalist and Chinese medicine practitioner, and asked her if she’d be interested in exploring KATY, a new nootropics supplement that I was asked to review by a friend of mine who was involved in the company. I explained that a medicinal plant concoction could replace mood-enhancing chemicals that people use to evoke the same euphoric feeling, but without the dangers of toxic ingredients, addiction, and serotonin depletion.

She was intrigued.

I value Lori’s opinion. Her profession demands a researched and mindful awareness of everything that passes through her body. She seeks only the highest quality when it comes to plant-based medicinal remedies. I trusted her opinion on the product and insight into this world.

Lori suggested that we work with KATY in a different way. She felt the ingredients would be optimal for a heart-opening ceremony that would allow us to expand our spiritual self-awareness. She believed that the plant could help us look within ourselves through an introspective experience.

I was intrigued.

In the past, Lori and I have attended many ceremonies with various plant medicines: Cannabis, psilocybin, ayahuasca. We’ve worked with these sacred earth elements to awaken our consciousness and give us a more fulfilled understanding of ourselves and our lives. As with every ceremony, we started with a prayer; stating our intentions, and asking the plants and their spirits to open us up to what we needed to learn. We each took a pill.

Let’s face it, 2016 has not been easy for most of us.

We’ve both gone through major transformational shifts this past year—let’s face it, 2016 has not been easy for most of us—and the underlying focus through every challenge has been growth, awakening, and evolution. In a simpler sense, the day prior to the experience was a complicated one. We were keen to see how KATY would release the tension that our emotional dams had been keeping at bay.

It took about 20 to 30 minutes for the feelings to begin. All of a sudden, I was engulfed with happiness, and I smiled. I felt completely and effortlessly relaxed.

We were surprised.

To be honest, I'd been skeptical that a natural supplement could achieve the results claimed on its website. After 30 minutes, I was a believer. Lori explained that the combination of ingredients—especially kava—released the cortisol build-up in our brains. Cortisol is a hormone that causes stress, triggering a “fight or flight” reaction within the brain, which over time, can be detrimental to your immune system, cardiovascular system, and overall health. Thanks to the Theobromine, we felt clear-minded and euphoric. We were able to look within ourselves without the noise of worried thoughts, ego, and anxiety. Facing directly the challenges in our lives, we could see things as we were meant to see them. It opened up the pathways for unique and introspective thought. How could such a natural supplement give such deep results?

We were informed.

Lori talked a lot about the kava plant specifically. Kava—or awa as it’s known in the South Pacific—has been used in traditional ceremonies for hundreds of years. The active ingredients, known as kavalactones, are responsible for relaxing the mind and body while bringing clarity of thought and distinctly heightened awareness. When used as traditional sacrament in a ceremonial setting, Kava puts you into a meditative state. Your mind and heart open, giving you insight to the deeper meaning and purpose within. The feeling is light and relaxed, akin to a dream state.

Lori described the kava state of consciousness as becoming the seer of one’s thoughts, strengthening the ability to be detached from the “monkey mind” state that often hinders the opportunity to live in the moment. Our consciousness goes beyond the body, and observes our being as if we are watching ourselves from an outsider’s perspective. The subtle effect is maintained only if there is peace, quiet, and the intention to go within and quiet the mind.

The other ingredients to KATY, like N-Acety 1, L-Tyrosine (NALT) calm and relieve stress. NALT increases dopamine, creating a sense of relaxed well-being that allows everything to become more pleasurable. This in turn allows you to attain a deeper meditative state. Expansion of consciousness naturally follows.

In addition to these ingredients, the combination of Nootropics, Theobromine, vitamin E, and EGCG all play important roles in creating a serene and calm state of being while supplementing the brain with nutrients.

We must utilize the tools nature has provided to ignite the divine source within our hearts.

“Nature teaches us that life is nothing but change. Seasons, plants, flowers, cycles, are always changing," explains Lori. "When you work with the plants and allow them to show you your truth, magical things happen. We no longer attach to fantasies or idealisms. We start seeing things in the present moment and for what they really are. We become the ultimate observer in our lives.”

We changed.

Our conversation shifted from “what am I going to do” to “where am I right now,” allowing us to accept our situations without fixating on a future outcome that inflicted anxiety and mental agony. We got a clearer perspective on life, which gave us the power to let go and be okay with everything that would unfold.

As Lori Barron put it: 'Everything we are seeking is one perception away.'

Mother Nature has so much ability to heal our hearts and our souls. We live every day locked in the matrix, trying so hard to find outlets to release stress. We don’t see what’s right in front of us. We attach ourselves to the system—people and stories in our minds—to hide us from the underlying truth. The fight to escape solitude is desperate, but the reality is we are connected to every source of life on this planet and to the universe beyond it. To access that connection, we must utilize the tools nature has provided to ignite the divine source within our hearts.

“We live in a magical universe that is speaking to us all the time," summarizes Lori Barron. "When you allow the plants to work their magic, you begin to see that everything is speaking to you, and that you are never alone.”

As we dove deeper down the rabbit hole, Lori and I talked about our native ancestors gathering around us and connecting us back to nature. We discussed how we were living in a society that was hidden behind a veil. KATY helped reveal elements of the veil, and allowed us to tap into the unified field that is directly linked and tied to quantum physics.

Once we connected, we felt the high vibrations of love and peace. We could contribute to it, and to the entire planet.

By the end of the night, we were calm and centered. We pulled tarot cards and laughed and felt at ease. We connected with the ingredients of these sacred plants to expand our awareness, and we experienced what we needed to learn to take the steps toward our ever-evolving state of being.

As Lori Barron put it: “Everything we are seeking is one perception away.”